Father's Day Gift Guide

I won't get to see my own Dad for Father's Day this year owing to the Pandemic, but it doesn't mean he won't get anything from me. I am lucky my Dad is quite easy to buy for, the usual response to 'is there anything you would like?' is met with 'I don't need anything' as a response, thankfully I know him well enough to know there are two things he loves - Fishing and Whisky.

The adverts and emails for Father's Day gifts have been a little quiet this year, usually, they start really early and panic sets in as to what to Dad. If you haven't got it sorted, then I have a few suggestions for you:

The Gruff Stuff is a vegan, cruelty-free brand that is made in the UK and was created to be suitable for all men, and all skin types. All dermatologically tested, the brand uses ingredients which are ethically and responsibly sourced and you will find the likes of Australian Plums, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E.  The limited noir Father's Day Edition is a great little gift for any man in your life and obviously a nice little treat.

Priced at £42 you will find two products within the box. The first is the Spray On Moisturiser which really caught my attention. Described as being innovative, it uses a fuss-free spray application which works to give a quick and powerful boost of hydration. A refreshing formula which works to restore the natural moisture barrier and balance oil production levels making it ideal for helping to reduce redness, stress and irritation.  Then we have the Eye Balm which is described as being a gentle, yet powerful hydrating eye balm which combats the entire orbital area. Using a combination of potent ingredients such as Matcha Green Tea extracts, it helps to fade dark circles, reduce puffiness and firm.

If the man in your life loves his aftershaves as both my Dad and Hubby do, then I have two to share with you.

The first fragrance is called Neroli Woods by Banana Republic and it is a really beautiful fragrance. For me, it sits firmly in the Citrus Aromative family and it has some amazing notes.

Starting with the top notes which is made up of mandarin leaf, neroli and coconut nectar, the first whiff you get upon spritzing is very sharp and citrus lead but as it settles the middle notes of peony, orange blossom, frangipani really help to bring about that citrus zest whilst the floral notes stop it from being too sharp. The base notes are ebony, amber, sandalwood and cedar and as the fragrance settles the earthy green notes make this a stunning fragrance and it is one which lingers for hours after application. Priced at £55 via Debenhams and also here with Walmart.

The second fragrance is Kierin NYC Santal Sky and it sits within the Woody Spicy family and it has quite a uniqueness to it.

The key notes within this fragrance include Cardamon, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Saffron and what you get is a scent that is warm and woody. Sandalwood is by far the most dominant of notes but hidden within that you get a hint of Vetiver, which I absolutely love.  On the skin, it is long-lasting and one which you can't help but love more as it settles. Priced at £52 via Feelunique and ASOS too.

Fishing, as in the sport, is huge in my family. I grew up with it and the husband very much enjoys it, so gifts for Father's Day, birthdays and Christmas all revolve around the sport.

This year I've gone for amusing but practical with this hoodie (£25 Amazon) which is a play on the word Godfather and a fisherman. It is really soft material, but warm and true to size. I have found that with anything fishing related, size up so layers can be added underneath.

I am personally a huge fan of Foreo devices and have quite the collection, infact I think I have every single one except the latest UFO2, but I have the original. One of my favourite devices is the Issa Toothbrush, which I have had and used for over a year now. The Foreo Issa 2, the perfect gadget for a Trekkie because it was recently featured on Star Trek Discovery (episode 5) which got my Dad's attention!

The ISSA 2 combines a sleek, waterproof design which now has improved sonic-pulse technology and a combination brush head. By blending durable PBT polymer and ultra-soft silicone into a state-of-the-art toothbrush that lasts full 365 days on a full charge. What I love about my Issa Toothbrush is that it really does keep your mouth feeling clean, it isn't abrasive, it doesn't hurt your gums and because of the natural properties of silicone and PBT polymer harbor less bacteria for more hygienic brush heads and overall better oral health. Priced at £149 via Feelunique replacement heads cost just £17. It is hands down the best toothbrush I have ever used!

Then finally, books. I love to find things that are different but definitely attention-worthy and from Lars Mytting we have Norwegian Wood: The internationally bestselling guide to chopping and storing firewood (£13.99 from Amazon). 

As a book, as well as being factual, it is quirky and humourous and it has been constantly recommended as book that you need to read and need to encourage other people to read and this is what I have done because it is strangely unputdownable!

So there you have my 2020 Father's Day guide which features something for everyone regardless of age and all of them are pocket friendly so you don't break the bank. 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Ted Baker Last Minute Stocking Fillers for Him and Her

Okay so how many of you still have one or two last minute gifts to get and really do not want to be running around like a headless chicken?  Well look no further, I have some fantastic products that would make amazing stocking fillers for both him and her.

I have featured a few Ted Baker products on my blog in the last month and I am so impressed with them, I had to share them.  You can find Putting on the Glitz HERE gift set here which features an illuminating Highlighter, a bronzing compact, a Kabuki Brush and a Bronzing glow and if that isn't enough, you can find some Ted Baker eyelash curlers and nail buffer HERE.  All of these products arrive in fantastic packaging and can be found in Boots!

Today I have the Ted's Big swig gift set £12* and it features a 200ml hair and body wash, a 150ml body spray and a large water bottle. I really like the packaging within which these products arrive and it has the following description:

"For maximum performance with minimum sweat, the fresh, invigorating top notes of this (be)spoke Body Spray and Hair & Body Wash contrast neatly with this aerodynamically designed water bottle from Ted. After all, whether a grand tourer or a sprint specialist, everyone needs to whet their whistle from time to time! The Ted Baker Ted’s Big Swig gift set includes Hair & Body Wash that work in tandem with your physique to ensure you’re always oiled for choice, along with Body Spray as fresh as a bright yellow jersey...Saddle up!"

Then we have a gift for the girls, well two actually and they come in the form of nail polish duos.  First up we have Cherry Bomb Duo* £8.50. Described as:

"Put a little fizz in your day with Ted's girly and delicious Cherry Bomb, perfect for girls with a seriously cheeky side"

As you can see from the photos, the first shade is deep cherry colour which is absolutely stunning on its own, never mind with the addition of the sparkle called Sugar Rush, which I also adore.  

The second set I have is called Blue Moon Duo* £8.50 and as before there is a nail polish in a beautiful deep blue shade, so deep it is almost black, I absolutely love it and you can see how blue it is once the light catches it.  Add some sparkle called Space Dust and you add a bit more beauty to your nail colour.  Described as:

" The stunning Blue Moon is for girls who like to maintain a little mystery"

Now hopefully this post has given you some ideas for those last final few presents that you need to get to complete your Christmas Shopping.

Do you have any of these Ted Baker products?  Do you want them?

PJ's and Nail Polish

Whilst in Asda collecting a Christmas Gift for my Nephew, these PJ's caught my eye and I bought them, well they are fantastic and oh so comfortable and they cost just £12.  I had intended to give them as a gift, but well, they are now mine.

They come neatly folded inside a fabric bag which matches the PJ bottoms as you can see below and on the bag itself are two buttons which keeps the PJ's secure until opened:

Once the PJ's are in use, I wondered what to do with the fabric bag, I love the pattern of it and didn't want to just throw it in the bin because it woould have been a huge waste.  Then I remembered that I needed some new storage for my nail polishes, below is the bag I had been keeping them in, but it got so full that I could no longer zip it up.

Those are just some of my nail polishes and one random bottle of Moon Beam which I had been looking for and naturally am chuffed I have found, but in total there is almost 40 nail polishes shown there and I have around another 15 in need of a home, which they now have:

Now I have a lovely fabric bag to securely store all of my nail polishes all in one place.

How do you store your nail polishes?  Do you like what I have done with the fabric bag and would you have used it for something else?

Radley Watch - The Perfect Gift!

When the lovely Sara from Pretty In Pink did a post about watches, my 'what to buy my Mum for Christmas' stress was dealt with.

Let me introduce you to a beautiful Radley Watch which I got for the amazing price of £52.49 reduced from £139 from HSamuel. The watch itself is described as being Rose Gold Plated Bracelet, so very in keeping with those 'must have' Rose Gold and a further description is:

"Stylish Radley rose gold plated bracelet watch featuring large white round dial with Radley logo. This on trend style is perfect for work or play".

So already you can see that it comes in this stunning Radley Box and then inside is this soft suede feel box within which the watch sits. The Rose Gold theme is carried on with the packaging which I also really like.  Once the box is open, this is what you get:

So there you have the watch and you can also see what it looks like on my wrist too, it is actually perfectly sized for my wrist and it sits so comfortably, I debated keeping it for myself. 

Do  you have a watch on your wishlist for Santa? Do you like this style of watch?

Project Shoebox - needs YOUR help!

So I have Grace from AllThatSlap to thank for alerting me to this amazing cause that I too had to share with you.

Project Shoebox was an idea brought to life by a lady called Kate just 6 weeks ago and she, like many of us Beauty Bloggers has a bit of an addiction to buying beauty products and then a few weeks later realising we have so many that there are not enough hours in the day to not only use them or review them but we forget about them too. Kate took it upon herself to ring her local shelter for woman to see if they could make some use of the product she did really need. Many of these women are victims of domestic violence, who have been traumatized and often have to leave their homes with absolutely nothing, just the clothes they are wearing.

The appeal itself is asking for any unwanted beauty products to give to these women at a shelter who have been through a lot during this year, and Christmas may not be something they are looking forward to or have any presents to either give or receive.

I am the first to admit that I could probably fill more than one shoebox and I am guilty of having products sat around that I bought and didn't like so just leave them there until I eventually throw them out.  But rather than throwing them out, this year I am giving them to this fantastic cause and I hope some of you will be doing the same too.   This is just some of the stuff that has been sent to support this project to date:

All of these photos have been kindly given to me by Katie herself and feature her baby son. As you can see, there has been a lot of generosity so far, but still more is needed. Below you will find a list of what are deemed accepted products, naturally they are preferable unused:

*The Basics List*

Toothbrush and paste
Shower gel
Shampoo
Some sort of moisturiser
Tampons/towels

*Luxury List*

Hair conditioner
Hair products - spray, mousse, gel, etc
Body lotion, cream
Hand/Foot cream
Facial wash/cleanser, toner, moisturiser
Body scrub/loofah
Make up remover
Make up - unused mascara, lippy, etc
Cosmetics
Razors
Hairbrush/comb

If you think it a worthy cause, please give what you can. Simply go to the Facebook page which you can find by clicking here, send them a note with your postcode and a paid label to simply print off, as well as a list of local shops for you to drop your goodies off to will be given to you as quick as that.  It really couldn't be easier.

So get rooting through those drawes, cupboards,boxes, bags, sacks and anywhere else you hide your stash and give it to someone who needs it much more than you do!